Steward Du hurried back with the news that assassins had attacked Ninth Prince’s residence and that the Princess Consort had been seriously injured and was currently receiving treatment.
Xie Jin was stunned.
He questioned Steward Du carefully about what had happened. But when he heard that Xiao Yu had thrown herself in front of Ninth Imperial Uncle to shield him from a concealed weapon, his expression turned terrifyingly dark.
In a fit of rage, he smashed the teacup in his hand!
Steward Du stood nearby, anxious beyond measure.
If the Princess Consort had not been carrying out an errand for His Highness, she would never have encountered such a disaster in the first place.
Moreover, the situation had been extremely dangerous. If the Princess Consort had not blocked that attack for Ninth Prince, the already frail Ninth Prince might very well have lost his life.
Now Prince Rui’s residence had effectively become Ninth Prince’s benefactor.
Why couldn’t His Highness see how advantageous this was?
Although those were his thoughts, Steward Du could only patiently continue persuading him.
“Your Highness, the concealed weapon was coated with a deadly poison. The assassins clearly intended to take Ninth Prince’s life! I fear the Princess Consort’s life may also be in danger. Your Highness should hurry over and see her. If the worst happens… at the very least, we should bring her back first.”
How could Steward Du know what Xie Jin truly cared about?
His own princess consort had been gravely injured while protecting another man.
To Xie Jin, this was an unbearable humiliation!
How could he tolerate Xiao Yu betraying him again and again?
“Ninth Prince’s residence has so many guards and hidden guards. Why would she need to shield him from a concealed weapon? Steward Du, are you certain you saw everything clearly?”
Only then did Steward Du realize that he had underestimated Xie Jin’s suspicions.
With lingering unease, he carefully chose his words.
“Those assassins were no ordinary men. They were highly skilled martial artists from the jianghu. They had supposedly all been killed, so everyone must have lowered their guard. No one expected one of them to still be alive, which gave him the opportunity to launch a final attack.”
“At the time, the Princess Consort and this servant happened to be standing closest to Ninth Prince, so… so…”
Steward Du could not continue.
If His Highness had already decided that the Princess Consort was guilty, then no amount of explanation would make any difference.
Xie Jin glanced at him but said nothing more.
He had already suspected that something improper was going on between Xiao Yu and Ninth Imperial Uncle.
Whenever anything involved Ninth Imperial Uncle, Xie Jin felt an instinctive sense of discomfort.
And now, that instinct seemed to have become reality!
No matter what happened, he would not let Xiao Yu off this time!
By the time Xie Jin arrived at Ninth Prince’s residence, the smell of blood had yet to completely dissipate from the courtyard.
Gu Jiuci’s face was pale, and his entire demeanor appeared somewhat listless.
Was he frightened?
The thought inexplicably crossed Xie Jin’s mind.
Perhaps because Xiao Yu had just saved his life, Gu Jiuci’s tone toward Xie Jin was unusually mild.
“Prince Rui, you’re here?”
“Imperial Uncle! I came to take Xiao Yu home.”
“Xiao Yu has been poisoned and is currently in no condition to be moved. It would be better to let her remain here at Ninth Prince’s residence. My physicians will treat the poison.”
“Ninth Imperial Uncle, Xiao Yu is my princess consort! Now that she has been injured, I should naturally take her back to Prince Rui’s residence for treatment. How can she stay in Imperial Uncle’s residence? It is improper!”
Gu Jiuci raised an eyebrow, a trace of impatience appearing in his eyes.
“Now Prince Rui suddenly remembers what is proper?”
“Why did Princess Rui come here this evening in the first place? You are her husband. Could you not have come personally to express your gratitude?”
“You sent her here alone despite the impropriety of it. Now that she has been injured, you come here demanding answers instead.”
Gu Jiuci’s eyes cooled.
“Or could it be that tonight’s assassination has something to do with Prince Rui?”
“Imperial Uncle, mind your words! I, Xie Jin, would never dare bear responsibility for such an accusation!”
Xie Jin gritted his teeth, momentarily speechless.
It seemed Ninth Imperial Uncle had already guessed why he had sent Xiao Yu here.
Not only was he defending Xiao Yu, but he was even trying to implicate Xie Jin in the assassination!
“Does Imperial Uncle truly intend to keep Xiao Yu here?”
“She saved my life. Why shouldn’t I keep her here while she recovers?”
Xie Jin took a step backward, an icy smile spreading across his face.
“Although you are our imperial uncle, there are no women in your household. If the Princess Consort of my Prince Rui’s residence is forcibly kept here by you, I can’t help wondering what Imperial Uncle’s true intentions might be.”
His gaze darkened.
“Could it be that you and Xiao Yu…”
Gu Jiuci raised one thick eyebrow and covered his mouth as he coughed lightly.
He did not even need to hear the rest to know exactly what sort of accusation Xie Jin intended to make.
“Since you’ve already thought of a way to smear our reputations, then if I let you take her back, perhaps tomorrow the capital will suddenly hear that Princess Rui died unexpectedly.”
Gu Jiuci’s tone turned firm.
“I am keeping her here.”
He raised one finger and pointed at Xie Jin, gently shaking it.
“With your ability alone, you cannot take her away.”
Xie Jin clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles nearly cracked.
Yet he forcibly restrained himself.
In the end, he merely let out a cold snort, flicked his sleeves, and stormed out.
Inside the room, Yuyan was assisting Fufeng in removing the concealed weapons from Xiao Yu’s body.
Fufeng gave instructions while slumping back in his chair and complaining bitterly.
“Ah! My life is truly miserable. I just traveled thousands of miles back from the northern frontier, enduring snowstorms and hardship the entire journey. The moment I return, I run into assassins, and now I have to save someone!”
“I feel like a donkey that’s been worked without rest. I’m barely holding on!”
The moment he saw Gu Jiuci enter, Fufeng immediately straightened in his chair and glanced several times behind him.
“He left?”
Gu Jiuci supported himself against the table as he sat down.
“If he didn’t leave, should I have kept him here to chat with you?”
Fufeng sighed at him.
“Only you have the ability to forcibly keep her here. If it were anyone else, it wouldn’t matter even if she had saved their life. She is still another man’s princess consort!”
“She saved another man, and now you won’t even let her husband take her home. If word of this spreads, Xiao Yu’s reputation will be completely ruined!”
For once, Gu Jiuci’s gaze flickered.
“If I didn’t keep her here, do you think Xie Jin would let her live?”
“In Xie Jin’s eyes, her reputation was ruined long ago. Would one more accusation really make a difference?”
Fufeng nodded, then shook his head.
For a moment, even he did not know what he was trying to express.
But after thinking about it, Gu Jiuci was indeed right.
If Xiao Yu were taken back by Xie Jin, then unless Yuyan fought him to the death to protect her, Xiao Yu would almost certainly suffer a sudden and mysterious death.
“How are her injuries?”
“The poison on those concealed weapons was specifically prepared for you. If you had been struck by them, not even an immortal descending from heaven could have saved you!”
Fufeng sighed.
“Fortunately, she blocked them for you. I’ve already given her an antidote pill, so she should be fine. It’s a good thing I returned in time!”
In truth, Fufeng had another thought.
Xiao Yu throwing herself in harm’s way so recklessly probably had not been entirely her own decision.
More likely, a certain someone residing within her had sensed the danger and compelled her body to act.
But Fufeng could hardly say that aloud.
Gu Jiuci’s gaze turned dark and profound, a cold fury like shattered ice hidden within his eyes.
“Gu Mo!”
“Investigate this thoroughly. I want to know exactly who has such remarkable ability!”
At that moment, Yuyan emerged from the inner room.
Her face was pale, and beads of sweat covered her forehead.
“Young Valley Master, Your Highness, all the concealed weapons have been forced out of her body! But some poison remains. I’m afraid it may cause lasting damage to her health.”
Fufeng nodded.
“The poison she was struck with is extremely cold in nature. It was originally intended for you. Had it entered your body, it would have triggered the poison already inside you and killed you.”
“As for her… it may have damaged the foundation of her health. I’m afraid she’ll need several years to fully recover.”
After hearing this, Gu Jiuci’s eyes flickered unpredictably.
No one could tell what he was thinking.
“Go and rest. Have her two maids come in to attend to her. Summon Nanny Gu as well.”
Gu Jiuci paused.
“Give her the best of everything.”
Yuyan acknowledged the order and left.
After leaving Ninth Prince’s residence, Xie Jin grew angrier the more he thought about what had happened.
Instead of returning home, he changed direction and headed straight for the imperial palace.
Emperor An was so shocked by Xie Jin’s account that his mouth remained open for a long moment.
Since when had Ninth Imperial Uncle become involved with Xiao Yu?
Xiao Yu had even taken a poisoned concealed weapon for him!
Emperor An did not ask why Xiao Yu had gone alone to Ninth Prince’s residence.
Judging by Xie Jin’s words, Xie Jin clearly knew the reason himself.
This situation was becoming very interesting indeed.
“What do you intend to do?”
“Divorce her!”
Xie Jin’s face was filled with fury.
Even divorcing Xiao Yu would not be enough to extinguish the hatred in his heart.
The reason he had come to complain to Emperor An was because he hoped the emperor might have some way to suppress Ninth Imperial Uncle’s arrogance.
Emperor An’s eyes flickered.
By now, he had already understood Xie Jin’s intentions, and he began guiding him along.
“Divorcing Xiao Yu may relieve your anger for a moment, but Ninth Imperial Uncle has gone too far as well.”
“With his status, what kind of woman could he not have? Yet he insists on stealing his nephew’s woman. If word of this spreads, how could the civil and military officials of the court continue to respect and trust him?”
Xie Jin lowered his eyes to conceal the emotions within them and deliberately put on a dejected expression.
“Your Majesty, please uphold justice for this younger brother of yours!”
Emperor An considered the matter for a moment.
Then he beckoned Xie Jin closer and handed him a list.
“Take a look. This is the list of young women submitted for the upcoming imperial selection. If there is a family you find suitable, you can begin making arrangements in advance.”
Xie Jin’s heart stirred.
This was truly an opportunity delivered straight to his doorstep.
It seemed Emperor An had no objection to him divorcing Xiao Yu.
In fact, the emperor apparently intended to make the greatest possible use of the situation to weaken Ninth Imperial Uncle.
Xie Jin accepted the list and quickly skimmed through it.
He soon formed a plan in his mind, though outwardly he continued pretending to be indifferent.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. This younger brother does not know much about these young ladies. It would be better to proceed according to the usual rules.”
The emperor and his subject exchanged an unspoken understanding.
After Xie Jin departed, Emperor An beckoned Wang Quan, the chief eunuch serving at his side, and quietly gave him several instructions.
Wang Quan nodded and left.